Use paraphrasing to restate the ideas or thoughts of another person in your own words.
1. Understand paraphrasing
When writing paraphrases for source material, you show that you understand the information because you are conveying it accurately, you enhance your own credibility as a writer, and you integrate source information without using too many direct quotes.
A good paraphrase
- Includes only the author’s ideas.
- Is accurate and fair.
- Is entirely in your own words.
- Is properly cited.
2. Strategies for writing paraphrases
First, read the source material. Identify the main claims and pieces of evidence.
3. Paraphrasing example
Original Text
✓ Acceptable Paraphrase
The worldwide use of English concerns people outside of language classrooms. The issues raised by the global use of English as a lingua franca are as numerous as the issues raised by the globalization of cultures and economies. In discussions of English as a global language, people should note that English language instruction may not be available to everyone who wants it, and in places where English can be spoken, it may not be the most welcome language for international communication. (Seidlhofer 7)
✗ Unacceptable Paraphrase
This paraphrase is unacceptable because the expressions are too similar to the original texts in sentence structure and vocabulary.
The spreading of English worldwide is not only an issue for people who teach and learn English.The spread of this one language is unprecedented, and its position as a global lingua franca by many different types of people creates many issues and problems as does economic and cultural globalization. An important fact is that although people talk about English spreading globally, this does not mean that using English to get more knowledge is something available to all who desire it. It also doesn’t mean that English as an international means of communication is always welcome. (Seidlhofer 7)
Page Source [1]This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. © The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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